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Integrated Assessment of EU Sugar Regime Reform Impact on Biodiversity in Mauritius

This project assesses the impact of the EU sugar regime reform on sugar cane farmers and biodiversity in Mauritius. The focus is on transitioning smallholder farmers sustainably in response to the reform through strategies like diversification and ethanol production.

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Integrated Assessment of EU Sugar Regime Reform Impact on Biodiversity in Mauritius

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  1. Integrated Assessment of Trade related policies and Biological diversity in the Agricultural Sector in Mauritius Geneva, 26-28 November 2007

  2. OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSESSMENT To assess the environment, social and economic impact of the EU sugar regime reform on the agricultural sector, in particular, the biodiversity of Mauritius with focus on small farmers growing sugar cane and the corporate sector

  3. FOCUS OF THE PROJECT ▪Sector : Sugar sector ▪Geographical locations : Island wise ▪Time frame : 2007- 2009 ▪Focus: Impact of the Multiannual Adaptation Strategy Plan for the sugar sector on the agricultural sector ▪Regrouping of small holder farmers: • Sustaining difficult areas under sugar cane • Moving out of sugar cane • Centralisation • Right sizing of labour force • Ethanol production

  4. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ▪EU sugar reform proposes to cut sugar prices by 36% within a period of 4 years. ▪ Export of sugar from Mauritius constituted a major source of foreign exchange. With the implementation of this policy foreign earnings will be severely affected. ▪ The revenue of sugar cane growers will be reduced.

  5. The strategy of the sugar sector has been spelt out in the Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy (MAAS) • Low sugar price will: • ▪Force growers to move out of sugar cane cultivation towards diversification into more economically viable sectors (non-sugar/IRS…) • ▪Abandoning of sugar cane land • There is a lack of information and the impact on biodiversity is yet to be studied

  6. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (cont.) Try to draw linkages between main issues listed in previous slide:

  7. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (cont.) Present a schematic version of the conceptual framework you developed, if possible, using the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework

  8. METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS Baseline data prior to effect of EU sugar reform is being collected from different stakeholders ▪ Economic: Value of land;Yield;Cost of production / inputs required;Revenue to farmers;Change in land Tenure;Irrigation ▪ Social: - Farmer level: Management skill of farmers;Status of farmer; Social values; Group behaviour/Involvement;Group level evolution;Entrepreneur skill; - Household level;Family labour;Social values, rate of alcoholism;OccupationChange in activities and leisure time of farmers; - Community /society level: labour

  9. Environmental indicators: ▪ Cane variety; Weed flora; Pest and diseases; Fauna; Aquatic fauna in coastal zones ▪ Abiotic factors Soil compaction/ texture; Drains at block level ;Topography and soil erosion; Water ways and rivers Burning / green harvesting; ▪ Inputs(Use of fertiliser /chemicals)Pesticide disposal taken care by group

  10. INTERIM RESULTS Not Available presently

  11. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE ▪Core project team: - One Representative from Ministry of Agro Industry as Project Coordinator - Two Representatives from AREU [Team Leader and Team member] ▪ National Steering Committee members (quarterly)   ▪ Technical Committee members (monthly): - Core team + Representative of Min of Env + Representative of Farmers Service Corporation + co-opted members

  12. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE (cont) ▪Launching and capacity-building workshops – conducted on 24-26 April 2007, with two representatives from UNEP and about 36 participants ▪ Series of presentations on the IA study and the IA methodology ▪ Brainstorming session on 15 June 2007 to work on focus of the study ▪Technical Committee meetings to implement activities of the project ▪ National Steering Committees to monitor progress of the project

  13. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE (cont) ▪ National Review Meeting in January/February 2008 for validation of IA Methodology ▪ Field Surveys and focus group meetings ▪ Analysis of data ▪ Organise training of Government Policy-makers, private sector decision-makers and civil society to develop an integrated national response ▪ Draft an integrated national policy action plan to respond to the outcomes from the IA ▪ Organise multi-stakeholder workshop to collect comments and feedbacks on national action plan

  14. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS ▪ Setting up Project Team ▪ Identification of stakeholders ▪ Setting up NSC ▪ Setting of Technical Committee ▪ Launching and Capacity Building Workshop ▪ Brainstorming session [Determination of Focus of Study] ▪ Defining Conceptual Framework ▪ Regular Meetings ▪ Determination of indicators and parameters ▪ Selection of fields for observation ▪ Creation of Website

  15. MAIN CHALLENGES ▪Weak response from stakeholders ▪ Absence of a networking to share information on ongoing activites related to the study undertaken within different organisations ▪ Capture of some Indicators/Socio-economic data may not be easy as farmers are dependent on other sources of revenue than sugarcane. ▪ Dynamic changes in International trade policy may lead to confounding effect in the study. ▪ Application of IA methodology for our study [support required from UNEP]

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